Camera device and vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus

• US 7,359,001 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2003
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Imoto, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bemben; Richard M
• Application Number:
  US10/722,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20040169762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 348/337, 348/373, 348/374, 348/336, 348/340, 348/369, 348/218.1, 348/36, 348/38, 348/39, 359/678, 359/725, 359/831
• US Class Current: 348/373
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/10 Front-view mirror arrangements; specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle B60R1/002; Periscope arrangements , i.e. optical devices using combinations of mirrors, lenses, prisms or the like specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle B60R1/002; for viewing traffic-lights B60R1/005; Other mirror arrangements giving a view from above or under the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A pair of left and right prisms are disposed on part of the region in front of the image pickup unit. A wide-angle lens is disposed on another part of region in front of the image pickup unit. Tapered supporting members of a prism holder for supporting the prisms located between the prisms and the wide-angle lens are formed so as to be reduced in thickness gradually toward the image pickup unit.

Claims

1. A camera device for imaging a plurality of directions in a visual field simultaneously, the device comprising:

an image pickup unit having a single image pickup device and an image pickup lens disposed in front of the image pickup device;

an optical unit disposed in front of the image pickup unit and configured to guide incident light from a plurality of directions in the visual field to the image pickup unit; and

a supporting unit for supporting the optical unit,

wherein the supporting unit comprises a tapered supporting member having a thickness gradually reduced toward the image pickup unit.

2. The camera device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical unit comprises a prism formed substantially in a triangle prism including a rear prism surface and a pair of side prism surfaces, the rear prism surface facing the image pickup lens, and one prism side surface facing a side visual field of the image pickup unit, the prism allowing an incident light entered through the one prism side surface to be reflected twice internally between the one prism side surface and the other prism side surface and then to output through the prism rear surface, and guiding the light beam toward the image pickup lens.

3. The camera device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the prism comprises a pair of left and right prisms disposed symmetrically on the front side of the image pickup unit, and

wherein the left prism is arranged that a left prism side thereof faces toward the left visual field and the right prism is arranged that a right prism side thereof faces the right visual field.

4. The camera device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tapered supporting member is disposed between an image pickup range of an image to be picked up with the intermediary of the prism and the image pickup range of an image to be picked up without the intermediary of the prism.

5. The camera device as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least part of a ridged portion surrounding the rear surface of the prism has an angular shape formed of surfaces intersecting with each other.

6. The camera device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting unit is configured to support the optical device to be inserted along a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the image pickup lens, and

wherein the tapered supporting member is configured to receive the optical device on the opposite side from the side on which the optical device is inserted and supports the same.

7. The camera device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical unit is disposed so as to cover a part of the image pickup lens, and further comprises a sub-image pickup lens disposed so as to cover other part of the image pickup lens.

8. A vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus comprising:

a camera device mounted on a vehicle and configured to pick up images of a plurality of directions in a visual field simultaneously;

a processing unit configured to process the image picked up by the camera device; and

a display unit installed in a cabin of the vehicle and configured to display the image processed by the processing unit,

wherein the camera device comprises;

an image pickup unit having a single image pickup device and an image pickup lens disposed in front of the image pickup device;

an optical unit disposed in front of the image pickup unit and configured to guide incident light from a plurality of directions in the visual field to the image pickup unit; and

a supporting unit for supporting the optical unit,

wherein the supporting unit comprises a tapered supporting member having a thickness gradually reduced toward the image pickup unit.

9. The vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the optical unit comprises a prism formed substantially in a triangle prism including a rear prism surface and a pair of side prism surfaces, the rear prism surface facing the image pickup lens, and one prism side surface facing a side visual field of the image pickup unit, the prism allowing an incident light entered through the one prism side surface to be reflected twice internally between the one prism side surface and the other prism side surface and then to output through the prism rear surface, and guiding the light beam toward the image pickup lens.

10. The vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the prism comprises a pair of left and right prisms disposed symmetrically on the front side of the image pickup unit, and

wherein the left prism is arranged that a left prism side thereof faces toward the left visual field and the right prism is arranged that a right prism side thereof faces the right visual field.

11. The vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the tapered supporting member is disposed between an image pickup range of an image to be picked up with the intermediary of the prism and the image pickup range of an image to be picked up without the intermediary of the prism.

12. The vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein at least part of a ridged portion surrounding the rear surface of the prism has an angular shape formed of surfaces intersecting with each other.

13. The vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the supporting unit is configured to support the optical device to be inserted along a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the image pickup lens, and

wherein the tapered supporting member is configured to receive the optical device on the opposite side from the side on which the optical device is inserted and supports the same.

14. The vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the optical unit is disposed so as to cover a part of the image pickup lens, and further comprises a sub-image pickup lens disposed so as to cover other part of the image pickup lens.